For those of us who spend time paddling the backcountry but worry about drinking the water, there is a great new water purification product out, PUR water treatment packets. As brief background, years ago P&G bought the PUR filter company (you backpackers may remember those water filter canisters). They have since developed a small packet that when added to a 2.5 gal of water, removed everything but the hydrogens and oxygens.

P&G chose not to market these for profit, but to give the technology to the world in the form of Childrens Safe Drinking Water Program. A few of us did sneak out a few of the packets for some Quetico/Wabakimi trips a few years ago, and they are fantastic!! No more boiling...adding iodine....or sitting in cold lakes filtering. You just throw in a packet (the size of a salt packet at McDs), stir and filter thru a (provided) filter...or your (hopefully clean) bandana. Further, they come in Al foil packets so they withstand moisture and being tossed about in your Duluth Packs.

They are now on the market for the general public, altho P&G is still not going to profit from this....they are donating all profits from sales to the Childrens Safe Drinking Water Program (a United Nations program I think). I highly reco them. Here's the link if you want more info....

http://bdc-intra329 .na.pg.com/ pa/Releases/ 2007/jul/ PURReliance_ 07-12-07. htm

I also found them recently at Walmart (sporting goods dept.) for half the price listed on the Reliance website.

Too late. I already have a SteriPEN that works just grand.

That's pretty cool they're donating profits to a UN program. Thanks for the info. (BTW your web address didn't work for me)

At $1.00 per treated gallon of water, I'm not so sure these packets will be my first choice.

After years of bringing a PUR Scout purifier (and now years of NOT bringing it, due to the hassle with clogging), I'm leaning toward picking up the AquaStar Plus! ($20 off right now) or maybe the SteriPEN.

For those interested, try this link: http://relianceproducts.com/consumer/product/205.html